After twelve months of enjoying my Onyx Boox Palma, I’m eager to recommend it as the go-to e-reader for this holiday season’s gift-givers. Unfortunately, the Amazon Fire HD 8 remains comparably priced to the Boox Palma 2, newly released in the market.
While I often recommend opting for last year’s model at a significantly reduced price, the Palma 2 stands out as a worthwhile investment despite its premium price tag. What’s the point of all this confusion? It seems to me that nothing makes any sense at first glance. The phrases and sentences are jumbled together in a way that leaves us wondering what the author is trying to convey. We can’t even begin to grasp the main idea without further clarification. It appears that some crucial information is missing, leaving readers feeling puzzled and unsure of how to proceed. Indeed, one reason newer e-readers may be more affordable on the planet of low-cost e-readers lies in software-driven support, with several factors at play.
While the original Palma still relies on Android 11, the upgraded Palma 2 boasts a more modern operating system in Android 13, ensuring users have access to the latest features and security updates. Unlike its predecessor, the Palma 2 can run apps for at least two additional years due to the fact that many apps will no longer support Android 11 by their end-of-support dates. While contemplating apps may be a key factor in choosing a Boox e-reader, it’s not entirely sufficient motivation to recommend the newer model without considering other factors such as display quality, battery life, and user reviews. Would you still choose the newer unit?
To unwind from the piercing glow of your smartphone and enjoy an additional portable reading option that can run full Android apps, you’re seeking a compact e-reader.
I exclusively access e-books through Amazon’s Kindle platform. There may be others that could potentially be lower than half the value of this.
I refer to the Onyx Boox Palma, dubbed the “proper bedtime system”, with its second iteration showcasing subtle yet significant improvements in expertise. Although Onyx didn’t revolutionize the Palma 2’s fundamental concept, they still opted to upgrade its processing speed, enhance the audio capabilities and discreetly integrate a fingerprint reader into the power button design.
The processor enhancement enables everyday computing to become slightly swifter, thereby uniformly enhancing the overall experience. Onyx has also introduced a few more innovative features to the system, including an AI-powered assistant capable of answering queries, allowing users to keep their phone safely tucked away, either in their pocket or stored away, thus minimizing distractions and keeping them fully focused.
The Palma 2 boasts an identical fantastic display to its predecessor, featuring a swift refresh rate on its e-ink screen, making it ideal for seamlessly scrolling through web pages, books, and numerous apps without any lag or jankiness. The display’s visual appeal is particularly noteworthy, boasting a refreshing absence of PWM dimming and flickering backlight.
While the Palma 2 can handle casual gaming, you’ll likely be limited to solving word-based puzzles like crosswords or playing text-based games like Wordle, due to its inability to run most modern games on its monochrome display? The original Game Boy’s simplicity was a deliberate design choice, catering to fans of straightforward gaming experiences, which are still cherished by many today.
